Ruins
by YOUR WORSE NIGHTMARE
Summary: It's already the next generation. How much has it changed since the last tournament? Not much, I've heard. Their wickedness have risen again, haven't they? Is it only up to princesses to save Smashia? Or does it take more?
1. Beginning: Hylian Bonds

The grass bent under her sandal. She looked up and met the rays of the glaring sun. The girl looked behind her and saw her horse standing by her, as if asking for a ride. The girl smiled and shook her head. She looked up ahead and started walking again. She needed to find him soon if the world was to be safe. Suddenly, a drop fell on her nose. The girl blinked and looked up, finding that the skies were turning gray slowly. Her horse neighed happily. The mare did love to ride in the rain. The girl smiled and hopped onto the saddle, holding the reigns. With a simple command, she was off. The rain had started to pelt her now. It soaked her cloak and paired with the cold wind, the girl wished she was back in the castle. She bit her lip and shook her head. What castle? The only castle she knew was burnt to ashes. The girl looked up and started to see outlines of a kingdom. The girl thanked the gods and made her horse go faster.

They passed a few lone farms and trees. When she arrived at the gate, she only needed to show her face to get in. The guards in this kingdom knew her well, and by the look on her face, they knew she was desperate. The girl thanked them and slowed her horse to a trot. She got off her horse and left her to the guards. She ran to the castle in the center of the city. They let her in immediately and the girl ran to the large dining hall, ignoring the protests of new guards. She threw the door open and looked at the king straight in the eye.

"Your Majesty, Hyrule requests your immediate attention." The girl said, putting her hood down. Her dark blonde hair fell to her shoulders and kept out of her face with a silver crown. A blue gem shone in the center of the crown. The king stood up at her words. Without a request, the girl began to explain. "We've been attacked. I need my father at once." She looked away. "It involves my mother, and soon everyone in here."

"A war? So soon?" One of the men around the table asked. "That can't be! We've established an alliance with every country around Smashia!" He added. The girl nodded.

"That may be true, Sir Ike, but the threat is not of a kingdom." She paused as everyone caught up to what she meant. She closed her eyes and nodded.

"They have risen already?" Another man gasped. He stood up and looked at the king. "We must have immediate action if we are to stop this from spreading, Your Majesty." The king slowly nodded. He snapped his fingers and a guard came in. The princess looked at him, and she could have sworn her heart skipped a beat.

"Royelt! Call for our commanders immediately!" The silver-haired king ordered. He snapped his fingers again and a woman came in. The king looked at her. "Astrid, call for your apprentice. She is ready." The woman nodded and left. The king looked back at the princess. "Princess Eleanor, where is your mother?" He asked.

Eleanor heaved a sigh. "She has left for Altea. My Aunt and my Cousin will be coming soon." She said. The king nodded and motioned her to sit. She did and she played with her fingers nervously. She was the only woman in the room.

"Princess Eleanor, if I may ask," Sir Ike started. Eleanor looked up at him. "How did this happen?" His voice was low and cautious. Eleanor looked up higher and sighed, thanking the gods for their help.

"Well, we woke up in the middle of the night, I suppose." Eleanor started to explain. "I… I had a dream, a prophecy of sorts. The next thing I knew, I found the TriForce on my left hand."

The same man that asked for immediate action looked at her. His flaming red hair distracted Eleanor from Ike's own dark blue hair. "What was in that dream of yours, Your Highness?" He asked.

Eleanor looked at her left hand then back at him. "Smashia was in ruins." Everyone gasped at what she had said. "Altea, Hyrule, Crimea… Everything was gone." She shook her head as she said it, trying not to remember the picture. "Then… Then there was a sound I can't really describe then I woke up. The sun was turning red and the skies were becoming gray." She breathed in deeply then looked up.

A man with purple hair looked at her. "Please, princess, you need rest." This angered Eleanor, but she chose to ignore it. The king noticed this and looked at the purple-haired man.

"That was when I found my TriForce. Only, none of the triangles were highlighted. The one in the center was white however, and I had never seen it." She breathed in again, feeling braver. "Once I saw my gift, I ran to my mother. She was sitting upright in her bed. She looked at me and mouthed some words I couldn't understand then she used Farore's Wind and disappeared. I found a note near her bed saying she left for Altea."

"Marth!" Roy and Ike said in unison.

I looked at them. "However, Ganondorf is not after my mother. After I received the gift, Bokoblins tried to capture me. Using the only spell I knew, I teleported myself to my horse. I rode her until I got here. When I turned around, I saw the smoke coming from my castle."

The king nodded gravely. "That is unfortunate, yes." He stood up and looked at the other men around the table. "Immediately, men, find your best men and bring them here. This war will not end easily." He said and everyone nodded. They stood up and ran out of the room, leaving only Eleanor and the king.

"King Mastre Haund," Eleanor started, standing up slowly. "Thank you. I must go back to my horse and find my mother, if I may be—" The king cut her off with a wave.

"No, you must stay in the castle for the meanwhile." He said. Eleanor looked at him as if he was crazy. Stay in the castle while her mother was in trouble? Not likely!

Eleanor shook her head and without a word, left the room. The king was surprised, judging by his expression. The princess walked down the halls of the large castle. She admired the amazing décor the king had. The walls were made of marble and floor was made of wood that was mostly covered with a light gray carpet. The princess compared the hall size with the halls of the Hyrule Castle and decided. Hers was definitely smaller than this. Eleanor kept on walking until she bumped into a guard.

The princess blushed as she identified the guard she had bumped into. The guard seemed to have a blush as well and immediately stammered his apologies.

"Y-your Highness! My deepest apologies, I never noticed you and—" The princess cut him off with a nervous giggle. The guard chuckled uncertainly and stepped out of her way, bowing down and using his arm to lead her away.

"No, no it's fine, Royelt. I must apologize, I was the one who barged in without an announcement." She said before walking away. Royelt watched the princess walk away and combed his red hair with his fingers. His father would never stop teasing him now. He had bumped into a beautiful girl, a princess no less!

Eleanor breathed in and used her own little version of Farore's Wind to teleport herself to where her horse was. The mare neighed happily as the princess appeared before it. The girl stroked the mare's cheek before hopping onto her again. She steered the mare out of the stables and into the rain. She put on her hood immediately and led her mare out of the peaceful kingdom. She looked at her left hand and saw the unnamed triforce.

"My daughter left already?" A dark blonde man clothed in forest green clothing asked, obviously angered. "She should at least have common sense and wait for me!" He ranted, adjusting his hat and going down the hall to the stables.

"Well, Link-o, I don't think she had a choice." Roy said casually, following his Hylian friend. "She is being chased by some old rapist dude." He said. Link sighed and kept on walking.

"True, but what if she did get raped? What then?" Link asked as they finally went out of a door that led to the stables. Roy thought for a moment before getting onto his own horse. Link smirked in victory when Roy didn't answer.

Link hopped unto Epona's back and looked at Roy, expecting something. They stared at each other for a while before Link steered Epona out of the way and out of the stables. "See you, Roy." He said before advancing his mare to a run. Epona was light, so she was quick. Link and his fairly good sense of tracking came in handy and soon he would find his daughter.

He wondered if his wife was fine too. He never should have left Hyrule for Smashia for those alliance agrrements. It wasn't too far from Hyrule itself, but it felt like it was further than it was. The Hylian bit his lip, whipped the reigns, and continued to think of his Queen. Her silky brown hair and purple eyes and heart-shaped face were stuck in his head. Link would do anything to rescue her once again.

The ride was partly boring since Link went the shorter way. He would find his daughter on the way anyway. The Hylian chose the shorter way to Altea to find Zelda faster. She was safe in Marth's hands, but the thought sickened him. He didn't exactly like the newly-crowned king that much. Ever since he hurt Zelda's feeling all those years ago, he never took the time to forgive the blue-haired Altean. But anything else was worse than that certain option.

Well, there was Crimea and its ridiculous number of soldiers. That would have been a good option to choose. Crimea was quite a peaceful land. There was also Maushreum, a small country that had a fairly good sense of protection. But other than those two, everything else seemed horrible. Not even Smashia was a good choice, even with its high quality protection. The villains would hit the most famous countries first, after all.

Link continued to think and decided Altea definitely was the best choice. The man looked up and saw dark clouds coming. He quickly took a cloak from a leather pouch he had brought. The cloak was made of the finest silk and was, if anything, his favorite color, green. Thought it was a darker shade of green, even darker than forest green. Link smiled as he put it on. This cloak was a gift from Zelda herself, and he had treasured it since. The hero slowed Epona to a trot, he was nearing Altea now, and there was no need to rush.

Link mentally kicked himself.

His daughter was still being chased by Ganondorf! Link sped Epona and looked from all sides for any sign of his daughter. She was wearing her gray cloak right? Was she using Epona's daughter, Josephine? Questions ran through Link's head as he looked for her. Was she the only other one other than him out here in the woods to Altea? Link bit his lip and hurried Epona. Where was she?

A beautiful brunette queen sat down in a chair, looking out the window at a could be spies out there right now, waiting for her to think she was safe. The queen sighed to herself. She stood up and took her black satin cloak from a nearby chair. She put it on and went out the door. When she exited, she was greeted by a pair of crystalline blue eyes. The queen frowned.

"What do you want, Marth?" She asked. "I'm already married to Link and actually have a daughter. A man like you should know when to stop."

Marth seemed to frown in reply. He spoke softly. "Is that how you thank someone who generously let you stay in his castle from an old villain?" He asked. The queen rolled her eyes. "Zelda, I'm sorry about what happened, I want to make it up to you." He added.

"Marth, give it up." Zelda said. She put on her hood and left, ending the conversation. The king watched after her leaving form. A frown was fixed on his face and when she disappeared at the corner, he turned to his own chambers.

Zelda walked quickly down the giant staircase and to Marth's garden. It resembled the one she owns back in Hyrule. The queen smiled as she sat down on the bench, wearing her hood. She was safe for now, her daughter has the Triforce of Equality, and Link was probably coming to help her go around Diem, running away from Ganondorf until he is ready enough to fight him.

Or until he catches their daughter.

Zelda gasped as she thought of Eleanore. She was the spitting image of herself, maybe even the younger version. The only difference was her hair color and personality. The queen smiled as she took out a little necklace. It was a locket. Zelda opened it and looked at the picture. It was a picture of her, Link and their daughter when she was twelve. It was taken by Toon's pictograph.

Zelda slid the locket back into her pocket and stood up. She was out in the garden for far too long. She went inside the massive castle and walked up the stairs slowly, looking out the window. As she neared the top, the door to the castle burst open. Zelda turned at her heel immediately and went into a fighting stance. Her arms fell when she saw who stood by the door surrounded by Altean guards.

"Mother!" Eleanore's voice exclaimed. The princess ran up the stairs to embrace her mother.

"Eleanore! Where is your father?" Zelda asked, embracing her daughter.

"Over here." Another voice said. The guards had cleared and Link was standing in the center of the entrance, wearing his cloak. "Hey, Zel." He greeted.

"Finally, everyone's here!" Eleanore laughed and motioned her father to come over. The king came and hugged his two favorite women. "Oh, how I've missed you, father." Eleanore whispered, hugging her father.

"I know, dear. But we're to move again soon if we must get away from Ganondorf." Link replied, kissing Zelda's forehead. He kneeled down and adjusted his daughter's cloak. "We have to leave immediately." He said with a smile.

"Or you could stay and rest for the night." Marth's voice said. The family looked up to see him leaning against the wall. Link stood up straight and fought the urge to frown.

"No, Your Majesty, I think we need to move on." Eleanore replied, a sly smile pasted on her face. Her parents seemed to have an amused expression on their faces. "We'd love to accept your offer, but Hyrule is in the middle of the war. W'd love to bring you misery, but I think we'd rather leave." A smirk appeared on her face as she turned. Her mother had a scowl on her face.

"Eleanore, now don't be rude." Zelda looked up at Marth. "I'm terribly sorry, Marth. But we really must go. Thank you, really." She added before leaving the room with her family.

* * *

I am falling in love with this story, really. It was actually inspired by a few books I've read before. Yeah. The story's kind of a OC Mania, cause I've made a bunch of OCs for the story. I'm going to start on the third chapter once the break starts. Woo!

Now, what else...? Oh right. I put it in the SSB category cause it's most fitting. Most of the characters from the games are going to be here though. You know, like Soren from FE and the Sages from LoZ. Well, I hope. This will be a story I promise to finish, I swear! :D


	2. Beginning: Maushreum Kingdom and PSI

A young girl ran through the halls of her castle. There was no way she was letting her mother get kidnapped by a mutant turtle. The villain even had red hair! The princess turned at a corner, looking for the door to the throne room. Her father would be there and stall Bowser and his son until her cousin comes. The princess took a quick glance out of the nearby windows. The clouds started to become dark and ominous. The princess made a frown and ran to the door. She threw it open and found her mother and father tied up at the throne.

When they saw their daughter, they tried to untie themselves as if trying to warn her about something. The princess took a few steps forward and immediately, her vision blacked out. She gave a small gasp as she heard her parents scream, "Rose!"

After what seemed like days, Rose's senses came back. She blinked a few times before her eyesight focused. A dark sly smile filled her sight. The princess gasped and scrambled to stand up, only to fall on her butt. "So you've awaken, hm?" The smile moved. Rose frowned and looked at the man.

"Oh, hi!" Rose said sarcastically. "Boy, have I missed you! What happened to you all these years, _Dark_?" She added, trying to untie herself. Dark grinned and stood up. "Oh I know! You were trying to kiss my best friend! How did I ever forgive you?"

Dark gave an amused expression. "Well, 'east you're a'ive." Dark said in his oddly attractive accent. Rose untied herself now. Dark noticed this and held a hand out. Rose reluctantly took it and Dark held her up. "You're still beautifu', Rose." He murmured. "I'm sorry it has to be 'ike this. I'm not the villain."

"So you didn't tie my parents up?" Dark looked away and shook his head no. "You helped him to help me, didn't you?" She asked again, softer this time. Dark nodded.

"T'was the only way, Rose." Dark immediately tried to explain. "You 'ave something they 'ant." He held both of her hands and looked into their eyes. "We 'ave to find my 'ounterpart immediately, Rose. Lared—I mean E'eanore should know what to do."

Rose nodded and tightened her fingers around his. "I understand, Dark." She whispered. The two looked out of the tiny window in the room. Rose looked at Dark form the corner of her eye and saw his determined face. He looked almost like his counterpart. Rose looked back out the window. She found a lone mirror and stared at her reflection. Her hair was in a mess, she was paler than usual and there were red marks around her wrists. Her red dress had marks all over it.

A small chuckle disturbed her thoughts. Rose looked at Dark. "You'll be beautifu' once again in times being." He said. "For now, we must depart for E'eanore." He said. Rose nodded and left the room. When they reached the woods, a thought came across Rose's mind. She looked up at the pale man before her and opened her mouth.

"What exactly do I have that they want?" She asked. Dark gave another sexy chuckle. Rose glared at him, but ignored it anyway.

"My, aren't you 'ust full of questions?" He said before carrying Rose up to his horse. The princess shifted positions as Dark got himself on his horse, too. "You 'ave, what I recall, The Diamond of Trees. Well, it's better known in Hyru'e as Farore's Emera'd." Rose gasped and ran her fingers across the gem on her necklace.

"Farore's Gem? Isn't that supposed to be not here?" Rose quickly said. Dark laughed and didn't reply.

"Well, you know, my 'ounterpart used to love your mother. He gave the second most precious thing to Peach one day, as a token of 'is love." He said as they exited the forest and into the country of Crimea. Rose gasped at his words. "Then 'course, Zelda came to the tournament one day and the 'est is history."

"What happened after that?" Rose asked, a little angry at Dark's counterpart.

"Link broke up with your mother, but since we all know my counterpart has such a 'ovely heart, he told 'er to keep the gem. They've been friends since then." Dark finished, letting his horse go as slow as it wants. Rose nodded and looked at the surrounding area. The terrain was just gray and ashy. Only the parts so far from their area had trees. Dar noticed this and smiled. "It'll grow. Diem always does."

"What happened here?" She asked. Rose was never allowed out of the castle and thus she knew very little about the surrounding kingdoms.

"Crimea was at war once. A few months ago, actually." Rose gasped again, receiving a small chuckle from Dark. "You see that castle o'er there?" Dark asked, pointing at a faint outline of a castle in the horizon. Rose squinted to see it and nodded. "Crimea's queen 'ives in a 'ottage a'ound that castle. The place was burned really bad, they're still repairing the main parts before she can go back in."

Rose nodded. They rode together for a while until they were stopped by two tall men. One of them, the one with an orange bandana around his head, spoke. "Dark, great to see you. Who's the lady behind ya?" He asked. Dark looked at him and smiled.

"Ranulf." He greeted. Only now did Rose notice the cat-like ears coming out of the top of his bandana. Rose tried to fight of the urge to ask what he was. "I've got the Maushreum princess. Rose, meet Ranulf and E—"

"Are you a cat?" Rose asked, squinting at Ranulf. Dark looked at her like a parent scolding their child. Ranulf just chuckled.

"Close, but I can transform into one, Your Highness." The two smiled and Dark just shook his head.

Rose nodded in understanding and shut her mouth. Dark looked back at Ranulf. "We're just passing through. How many 'ays 'ravel to A'tea?" Dark asked. Ranulf thought for a moment before looking at his companion. The brown-haired man whispered something.

"Say around two or three days." Ranulf said as the two travelers got off the horse. Rose looked around the ashy area and felt a frown going to her face. Dark tugged on her hand and she let him lead her. "Why don't ya stay a while? With all this talk of Ganondorf rising again, you can never be too sure." Ranulf asked, leading the two to his camp.

"You guys a'e still scattered a'ound C'imea?" Dark asked, looking at Rose briefly.

"Like I said, you can never be too sure." Ranulf replied. Rose sighed and looked at the camp. There were a few tents scattered around the area. A fire was burning in the center. A few men were walking around, too. Rose looked at them closely and found something very similar in all of them. They all wore blue gems on their shirts. Rose eyed the gems before thinking it was not important.

"It's a shame." Rose said mournfully, sitting herself around the fire. Dark looked at her.

"Why is that, princess?" He asked. Rose looked at him.

"It's so close to Christmas, you'd think the villains would give it a rest for twelve days." Dark chuckled at her reply.

"It's never like that with Ganondorf." Rose looked at him with questioning eyes. "For starters, the first few months working with him was hell, let me tell you that. When the tournament started, he told me to sign up. I became Link's counterpart, with us looking like twins with different skin colors and that. I stayed there as long as Link did. The last tournament, the one where you came, I got mad at Ganondorf. He told me not to talk to you anymore and, well, you know, have Eleanore fall in love with me. I couldn't stop myself from following him though, he still had my soul. I had to affiliate with Link to get my soul back. When we defeated him, you see, he rose back again at Christmas day, saying he will get me back."

Rose stopped him there. Dark looked at her, confused. "Your accent." She said simply. Dark gasped and cleared his throat nervously. "What happened?"

"It was fake." Dark admitted. Rose nodded and looked at the fire. "Rose, do you understand how much trouble we're in?" He asked, taking her hand and rubbing her fingers. Rose blushed and nodded her head. Dark used his free hand to get something from his pocket. He kneeled behind Rose and tied her hair slowly.

"W-what are you doing?" Rose asked, though she didn't move a muscle. Dark just chuckled. "What are you tying my hair for? Dark let go!" She whined childishly.

"Shush, I'm just putting it in a braid." Dark said, doing the finishing touches on the braid. "There we go." He said and sat down beside her. Rose turned her head a bit and felt her braid with her fingertips. Her eyes widened for a while, leaving Dark to chuckle. He stroked some stray hair behind her ear before lying down on the ground. Most of the Crimeans had gone into their respective tents.

"Should we," Rose started nervously. She looked at the flickering glow of red before her before turning a little pink. "Should we sleep under the stars tonight?" Dark smiled but didn't reply. Rose smiled as well and laid herself on the ground.

"Imagine, you, Eleanore and another princess will be the key to finding new Diem." Dark whispered to the woman beside him.

Rose didn't reply. Instead, she laid her head on Dark's chest and closed her eyes. Dark chuckled softly and placed a hand on her shoulder. In a matter of minutes, both of their breaths slowed. Finally, Dark thought, sleep and a new adventure. He shifted positions as Rose brought her arms around him. Everyone who passed by smiled at the scene, though some chuckled as well.

Two boys appeared out of no where and fell into the trees. The black haired one groaned and tried to stand up. His friend looked at him before doing the same. "Agh, what the heck are we doing here?" The black-haired one muttered.

"Beats me. Didn't the tournament end a few months ago?" The blonde one asked. His friend nodded. They both sat on the branches before looking out at the horizon. The view has changed since they last came. Along the edges of the forest they were in stood a country that looked like a wasteland. The two frowned slightly at this and looked away. Ahead was a castle with towers that could have reached the sky.

"Smashia." The two said in unison.

The black haired one stood up and looked down. Fifty feet from the ground, not so bad, right? "Shall we, Ness?" The blonde asked.

"We shall, Lucas."

With that, they jumped off the branches and came hurtling towards the grounds of Diem.


	3. Beginning: Pirasea and Their Highnesses

A young man stood beside a rather large train, wiping it clean with a cloth. The area around him was sunny and bright. Trees were planted around the station and the flowers grew in various gardens. The sounds of waves crashing could be heard. To top all of them, the young boy sang softly. He had blonde hair and was wearing a white shirt and green shorts. On his head was a black and red hat with a dove sewn on the front. It was called the Engineer Hat, something only a few people were lucky to have. The boy was a Royal Engineer and was very fortunate to be one. He was handpicked to be one by the best engineer as an apprentice, and look where he was now. He had a wonderful train and a happy family.

Suddenly, the clang of metal was heard. The boy turned around and saw his younger sister fighting their mother. His mother was very young, barely over her mid thirties. She wore a light shirt that ended above her waist and peach shorts that ended above her knees. Also, a red sash was tied around her waist. Her blond hair was tied up in a snail-like fashion and her eyes were just blue. The boy turned his gaze to his sister. Her hair almost matched their mother's except hers was more of a spiky version. There was no snail whatsoever. She wore a rather revealing shirt and really short shorts. The shorts were solved, however, by a sash similar to his mother.

The clashing continued and all the boy could do was watch. The clanging of metal hurt their sensitive ears, but for some reason, they got used to it. Finally, the younger girl drew back her dagger and sheathed it. Their mother did the same.

"I haven't had a fight like that since the Pirate War." She said. "You're certainly going to become the greatest pirate, Prant." She complimented. The girl grinned and her eyes shone with happiness.

"Hey, Mom." The boy suddenly said, pocketing the dirty cloth. He smiled at his younger sister. "Prant's coronation's coming up. Are you sure you should head for the seas already?" He asked. He couldn't come to the ocean with them, he had work here. Especially being as a prince. He was practically next in line for the throne, if he didn't already took control.

His mother seemed to consider this for a moment. "Your father knew you would say that." She sighed before placing a hand on her hip. "We decided that Prant was not to be crowned a princess." A look of shock appeared on his sister's face. She made a sound, making their mother laugh. "Of course, if Hyrule was to ever fall, the princess was more important. Remember, Engio, you wield the Lokomo Sword, The Shield of Antiquity and the Phantom Sword. We've established enough safety for the Bow of Light, too." She winked at Prant, obviously keeping something from Engio. Luckily, Engio didn't notice.

"And the Master Sword?" Engio inquired. He had never seen the blade itself before, but he heard enough stories to know it was real. His mother smiled and looked out at the endless blue waters.

"With your cousin." She said. Prant turned to look, but saw nothing. Suddenly, a grumble was heard from her stomach and she quickly rushed to the house. Engio laughed and followed her. Their mother watched and wished that her husband was here. The rustling of grass was heard and the blonde looked behind her immediately. She gasped and attempted to get her sword, but was too late. Engio saw everything. His mother had disappeared into a puff of purple smoke. He cried out, taking Prant's attention. The younger girl gasped and ran out the door, taking all remnants of the smoke in her hands. Engio followed her and hugged her. They needed to get to the sea immediately.

"Heronzo!" Engio called. Immediately a tall, strong man came out of a small house. "Round up the crew and get the ship ready, we're heading for Diem." He commanded. Heronzo nodded and looked for his son, Alfonzo. After that he went to look for the rest of the crew.

Engio looked at his sister. "Prant, I need you to do something very important for me." He told her softly. Prant made a sound of determination, making the prince smile. "Promise me never to lose sight of this." He took out a necklace. It was a fragment of the broken Nayru's Pearl. She looked at Engio with a scared look. "Prant, you are the most capable of taking care of it." He said and kissed her forehead. Heronzo called from the dock. Prant looked at Engio again. "If I must come, Prant, then I will leave Sheisy with the country." He said. He needn't have to tell her, the Advisor was smart enough to know when the prince had left.

Prant smiled softly before darting for the ship. Engio took one final look at his train and noticed the Mailbox dancing. The boy chuckled and took his mail. He ran after Prant and hoped on board. The ship started to move and Prant stood proudly at the prow. She was the official captain of this ship now. Engio walked over to her and sat behind her on the prow. He tore the mail open and read it.

"Farore forbid." He muttered. He read the letter several times before it got stuck in his mind. His cousin was in trouble. Hyrule had been attacked! What was he to do? Then the boy remembered the necklaces. He still had the other two with him. He had to find someone perfect enough to wield the fragment of Din's Pearl, but where would he find that person? Whoever held The TriForce of Power was definitely cursed to become evil. The prince bit his lip and put on the fragment of Farore's Pearl.

Slowly, his eyes drifted to the ocean ahead. Was this what travelling by sea was like? It was certainly different than travelling by train. These wayfarers did not have tracks at all! How could they travel without a mere way of knowing where they were? A map. The prince mentally slapped himself. A map! What else could they have used? Engio glanced at his sister before retreating to the Captain's Headquarters. He wondered what his father looked like. Engio's father died saving his wife's life, a few months before he was born.

The boy entered the quarters and admired the room. It was decorated richly with pearls, jewels and more from the many adventures their mother had gone through. Engio kneeled in front of three statues that stood at the end of the room. He kneeled in front of them, folding his hands. "Farore, Din and Nayru," He started. "Goddesses of the Hylian Race, and the acquaintances we have made, grant me access to your knowledge and guide me to the person I am to give the fragment of Din's Pearl to." He muttered. After adding a few more words to his prayer, he stood up and sighed. He looked through the closet and took out a blue tunic. He put it on, and added tights and a matching hat to his outfit. Before he exited the room, he put on brown leather boots. He checked himself on the mirror and decided it was preferable. Engio went out and watched the dolphins from the side of the ship.

Engio looked at the letter once more before sighing. If his cousin was attacked, where was the Master Sword? Suddenly, Engio felt a tug on his shirt. He looked behind him and saw Prant. The young pirate-to-be pointed at the distance. Engio looked and to his surprise, he saw black smoke coming to the skies. It seemed to be coming from somewhere. Engio tensed and he felt his sister tense as well. Engio turned to Heronzo. "Full speed ahead! We're nearing Hyrule." He commanded. Suddenly, everyone aboard the ship with the exception of Engio and Prant started rushing to make the ship faster. Engio ran over to the prow and strained his eyes to look at the source of the smoke.

Prant tugged him again. This time, she handed over a telescope and with a quiet thanks, he took it. The blonde set the telescope at his eye and looked through it. It was blurry, so he had to adjust it. Soon, the scene of a crumbling castle was in view. The castle itself was hard to notice, due to the lush forest that surrounded it. Engio adjusted the telescope again and saw two figures, a blond and a raven-haired boy, running from the forest, shooting what seemed like fireballs at an unknown figure. Engio's eyes drifted to the raven-haired one. His clothes were odd looking, almost like it was from a different realm. Engio also thought the same thing for the blond one. After what seemed like an hour, the ship had finally reached the dock of Smashia, the neighboring country of Hyrule. One of the guards walked up to the engineer.

"Identification." The guard said, staring Engio down with his red eyes.

"Prince Engio of Pirasea." Engio said confidently, staring at the guard as well. The guard nodded and turned to the others in the ship. Engio sighed. "My sister, Princess Prant." He said, motioning to his blonde sister who was confidently glaring at the guard. "And our crew." Engio finished with a chuckle, placing a hand on Prant's head.

"Your business in Diem?" The guard asked again, smiling a bit at Prant.

"We are here to assist the missing princess of Hyrule, Lareda." The guard tensed and called another guard, whispering into his ear. The second guard nodded and dashed to an idle horse. He hopped on it and trotted to the castle of Smashia.

"Your Highness, your escort to Smashia will come in approximately five hours." The guard said. Engio nodded and walked over to the deck with Prant by his side. Prant made a disapproving sound, making Engio chuckle.

"You don't like that guard, do you, Prant?" The girl nodded before running to her cabin. Once Engio was sure no one was in sight, he sneaked to a door that was hidden behind a pile of crates. He opened it and walked down the narrow stairs carefully. Halfway down he heard the sound of scraping metal. Engio quickened his pace and at the end, saw a boy around his age working by a large train.

The boy turned around by impulse. He had pale-ish green skin. His eyes were a dark red and his hair was a green-ish tone of black. Half his face was covered by a forest green bandana. The boy stood up and bowed for half a minute. Engio waved it off. "Byrne, how is the train doing?" The prince asked. The boy turned to the train and spoke.

"It is finished, Your Highness." Byrne said in a low voice.

Engio nodded and approached the train. It was still a wonder how it fit in the ship. Engio was surprised that the train barely slowed the ship down, too. The prince looked at Byrne again. "Do you think it's a good idea?" He asked. Byrne looked at him and nodded. Engio sighed and walked to the front of the train. Byrne followed and stopped at the opposite side. They pulled on two ropes and slowly, the ship began to open a small entrance. Suddenly, as if by magic, train tracks began to appear. Byrne turned to Engio and the prince felt he smiled.

Engio hopped on the train and started it. The engine roared to life. Soon, the train started moving. Guards that saw the alien mobile gasped and watched in interest. Engio smiled and waved at them as he passed by. The roof above Engio made a sound. The prince looked out and saw his sister on the roof, playing a pan flute. The blonde stepped back inside the train and watched out for any obstacles. He blew the whistle when there was an animal and stopped when there was an obstacle that took more than a whistle to get rid of. Soon, the Smashian castle was in view. Engio didn't notice, but Prant had a mischievous look on her face. She readied the bucket-shot behind Engio's back and aimed. She jumped in and set it free. Engio gasped as he saw her flying towards the castle.

"Prant!" He called, though he knew it wouldn't stop the pirate. Engio sighed as the train stopped at Smashia's Plaza. Engio hopped off and ran into the castle, ignoring the protests of the guards. The blonde ran to the throne room. When he entered the large room, he saw Prant fighting off twenty Smashian knights. The prince stood in awe. His eyes drifted to three royals that were standing, watching the scene. Engio approached them.

"My apologies, My King and Princesses." Engio quickly said. The three looked at him. The king, a young man with shiny gray hair, nodded, accepting the apology. The princesses, one of them looking like a purple fox-human hybrid and the other a blonde girl, just glanced at him and looked at the fight again. They watched in amusement that Engio had to think rudely of them. Did they enjoy knights getting their ass kicked by a younger girl that's presumably fourteen years old?

"Prant!" Engio called, immediately the fight stopped. The blonde girl appeared beside Engio, smiling at the three royals. "Please, stay still." He begged his sister, who frowned in reply. He turned his head to the royals once again with a desperate look on his face. "Eleanor, my cousin and Princess of Hyrule, is she safe?"

One of the royals, the hybrid, approached the boy and scowled. "Eleanor has left no more than a day ago." She said bitterly. "What pity it is to have such a poorly raised prince in her tree." Engio was taken aback. Prant made a growling noise and stood between her brother and the fox.

The other princess scoffed as she saw the young girl stand up to the fox. "Vixen, don't waster your time on them." She said. "They are of no use to us." The king sighed and gently pushed the two princess out of the way. He looked apologetically at Engio.

"Crown Prince of Pirasea." He said in a deep voice, "The princess is right, Eleanor has departed recently. They are on their way to the North- Past Gerudo Desert and up Death Mountain. If I remember correctly, they are looking for the land of Sklandia." Prant gasped and looked urgently at Engio. His face remained serious.

"I understand, Your Majesty." The prince said, turning to Prant. For a moment, a look of worry filled his eyes. The two arrogant princesses turned to each other before nodding.

"We wish to assist you." They said in unison. Engio, Prant and the King were astonished. Not more than a minute ago were they insulting the newcomers.

"Princess Vixen, Samus," The king stammered. "Are you certain? Who knows what will happen to you?" He asked, thoroughly dumfounded. The princesses nodded and looked at Prant.

At the sudden attention, Prant braced herself, hovering her hand above the hilt of her dagger. Engio placed a hand on her shoulder to restrain her if it came to that point. A growl escaped the pirate's lips. Vixen and Samus were shocked ot see such bravery in a mere fourteen-year-old. The king just stared blankly. Among all of the events that had happened so far, this was most shocking. A silent tension filled the air, almost scaring the daylights out of Engio. He never knew his sister was capable of such _anger_.

"We mean no-" Samus' explanation was cut off by the sound of metal slashing through air. "…Harm." The princess stared at the fourteen-year-old, moving backwards slightly. The tip of the small blade was directly in front of her neck. Vixen stepped forward, growling at the young pirate. Prant paid no attention and only continued to stare at Samus.

"Prant!" Engio said, just as shocked as the royals. "Do not take out your anger on everyone!" He begged, holding onto her shoulders as if he was about to die.

Slowly after the words were said, the dagger descended from its position. Prant's muscles become more relaxed, the signs of alertness and tension barely visible. Her posture straightened and she stood still. Samus found this as the right time to speak. "We mean no harm," she said, glancing at Prant briefly. "Eleanor is our friend. We cannot bear to hear her death." She said quickly in fear of getting slaughtered.

Vixen immediately cut in before Prant could react. "I come from a distant planet called Lylatia." She said. "Recently, my kingdom was attacked in a way similar to how Hyrule was attacked. My kingdom was burned to ashes and my parents were nowhere to be found." Engio stared at the hybrid in utter shock. Vixen continued. "If you have gotten here in a few days against harsh water currents, then I believe you deserve our help." She finished.

Engio, being the eighteen-year-old man he was, did not care about half the words the fox had said. Vixen had said something about coming from a distant planet. He spoke up, unsure of what to think. "Lylatia? If you have come from a place so far, so unbelievably distant, then what vessel carried you to our planet of Diem?" Engio gasped.

"That is of no importance." Samus said quickly, looking at the older prince with a cool look on her face. Engio stared at her eyes, somewhere in it he could tell that they were hiding something. He sighed and kneeled to the princesses. Prant gasped but reluctantly did the same.

"If it is the wish of the Crown Princess of Lylatia and the Next Queen of Smashia," He announced slowly, looking up at the princesses. "Then it is our honor to have them aide us in this ordeal." Prant seemed to make a sound of disgust, but remained still.

Slowly, a smile crept to the faces of the princesses.

* * *

Engio held the reigns in an attempt to not die. He had been on this large creature for more than five hours now and he still had not gotten the hang of it. He looked at his sister that was only a few feet away. She was doing better than him, much better. Engio groaned and carefully placed gripped the reigns, steering the horse only when necessary. A small laugh erupted from behind the prince.

"You cannot be serious!" A horse was drawn beside Engio's. Engio didn't bother to look at who it was. "How can there not be any type of horse in Pirasea?" She asked, her blonde hair falling a bit. Engio looked at her from the corner of his eyes then sighed.

"Samus, for the last time!" He groaned. "Our Fleets- or Military, as you say- have never bothered to steal one! Pirasea is a thieving country that had never bothered to learn the way of riding a horse!" He said in misery. Samus laughed.

She nudged him with her delicate hand, a look of childishness on her face. Engio felt a blush creep up his neck and fought hard against it. "If you haven't bothered yet, then consider it a gift from me to teach you the ways of riding!" The princess exclaimed. Engio looked away immediately and made a frown.

"No." He said. Samus gasped.

"Please?" She said. Engio shook his head. "Please?" She was practically begging him now to accept the gift. Engio pleaded the gods for something to distract the princess. Almost immediately did they answer his prayers. A new voice had decided to enter the conversation.

"Hey, Princess." Vixen said with a smirk on her face. "Give the man some space. He's had enough of your attempts to flirt with him." Samus turned sharply and glared. Engio blushed and kicked the horse lightly to escape the conversation. Suddenly, the sounds of two voices filled the air. Prant stopped and so did the others. They remained silent, keeping the horses calm so that they would hear the voices again. It emitted from the forest and disappeared momentarily, only to come back a few seconds later. Engio tensed and noticed his sister jump off her horse. Her hand was where Engio feared it to be and he followed her.

Engio quickly caught up to her. He unsheathed his Smashian sword and kept his right hand that had the shield close. They walked on the mud for a few minutes before seeing the smoke of a burning fire in the horizon. Engio tensed, was someone trying to kill the forest? Prant picked up her pace and hid behind a tree. The voices started to speak again.

"It's just not logical, Lucas." One of them said. The way he said it was accompanied by the sound of chewing. "If we started our search in Smashia, we would end up with nothing but more questions. If we started in the remains of Hyrule, we could find more than we need!" It said.

"But- Ness- Think about it!" The second voice seemed hesitant. "Samus should remember us! She's the princess, she should have answers!" Behind him, Engio could feel the Smashian princess tense as well. It seemed like the whole area was filled with tension.

"Think of it in my way, Lucas! We'd be dead if we set foot on that castle. Do you have any idea how advance their technology is?" The first voice argued. The second voice never replied, but to Engio, it seemed like it was just thinking of something to say. The first voice gave a scoffing sound. "See what I mean?" It said victoriously.

Then, the worst happened. Because of shock, Samus had stepped on a twig and it snapped. The tension thickened. The two voices kept silent, just as the four had done. Prant quickly climbed the tree with much skill. Engio did the same, but it took longer. Samus and Vixen hid behind a tree that was thick enough to hide both of them. Two figures emerged from behind a bush. From the branch Engio could see the fire cracking. He stared at it for a moment before averting his gaze to the two figures. One of them had blonde hair that seemed to defy gravity and had a rather poor posture. Engio looked closely and noticed the scared look on his face. He looked at the other one. Beneath what looked like a hat, Engio could barely see the raven hair. He had a wooden sword that looked rather dull and round. Engio stared at their clothing next. It was the oddest characteristic they had so far. It seemed to have lines of two different colors darting from one end to another, surrounding their short tunics. They seemed short, but also spacious and comfortable. Their pants were rather odd-looking, only ending above their knees.

"How revealing!" Engio heard Samus exclaim in a hushed tone.

The two figures turned to the princesses' direction. They started to advance and the first thing that came to both Engio and Prant's mind was to attack. They jumped in, Engio taking the blonde one and Prant taking the other. The blonde one struggled and fought against the prince. Engio bit his lip as a fist met his cheek. He was smart, though- he grabbed the next fist and twisted his arm. Engio held him down with his knee and looked at Prant's battle.

"Thieves!" The raven-haired boy shouted. Prant only smirked and dodged what looked like a fireball. He turned to Vixen.

"Vixen!" He shouted. "Get Samus out of here, they're sorcerers!" The raven-haired boy stopped attacking for a moment, leaving him in vulnerable. Prant found this wonderful and pushed the boy to the ground, holding the dagger to the edge of his neck. Engio saw the scene and wanted to protest. They were much too close! Oh, what would mother say? Engio thought desperately. Suddenly, the blonde one spoke.

"Ness! Don't fight- They're the children of Tetra and Link." He said. As soon as the words left his mouth, Engio felt his muscles relax. The prince kept his alarm up, though. He looked at the other boy, Ness was it? He seemed to relax as well. Prant smiled in victory. They had given up.

"How do you know our parents?" Engio demanded. On impulse, he frowned at Prant. "Prant, get off him or I'll tell mother when we find her." He said. Prant reluctantly got off. Ness seemed to have a blush on his cheeks. Mumbling something to himself for a brief second, he turned to Engio.

"We met your father in a tournament that occurred a few months ago." He said. Engio gasped. That tournament, it was when his father died in a fatal battle against a Crimean. Engio let go of Lucas and staggered backwards as memories of seeing his father dying filled his sight. Prant went to his side and held his arm, glaring at Ness.

"You ass!" Samus' voice cried as she ran beside Engio. Vixen followed helplessly.

Engio saw the scene in his head, like it was stuck on playing forever. Tears rolled down his cheeks. His father, his idol, his best friend… He died by the hands of a Crimean mercenary. He had seen it. Ever since that day Engio had wanted revenge on the mercenary. The scene, it was far too horrible.

A seventeen-year-old Engio stood in the crowds, screaming over the others. A look of worry filled his face. His father clad in green was losing to a Crimean soldier. Engio continued to cheer for his father, even if he lost. Instead of losing, however, he died. Engio cried out as he saw the blood dripping from the Crimean blade. His sister was on the other side of the crowd, but her reaction was different and more murderous. She jumped out of the crowd and lunged at the soldier, punching him from side to side.

"You killed him!" She cried. "You killed him, you son of a-" Her voice cracked as she cursed. Prant unsheathed her dagger and stabbed the soldier. Everyone gasped at the sight and tried to get away from the furious thirteen-year-old. It was only after five minutes that Smashian soldiers started to restrain her. "You killed my dad!" Prant screamed at the dead man. "You killed the Hero of Winds!" She cried. Everyone gasped. Engio approached the soldier to take Prant and bring her to the ship. After one more look at his father, he walked away.

* * *

**I just killed the word tension. OTL.**

**Sorry about the uber lateness, I got really busy and totally forgot about this one. I had to rewrite this one ten times. ;___;**


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